On the day, 10th of April, we get a glimpse of seven people who are stuck in their mind bubbles, and try to break out of them. This absurd five-chapter film lets you reflect on our 21st century contemporary living in a surprisingly philosophical way. It’s an eclectic film that plays with the mix of high and low art.
Mees graduated with this film Summa cum laude at the study Audiovisual Media at the Utrecht School of the Arts. She is moving on to do a master of Art theory and philosophy at the University of Arts London coming September. She has been on many sets from big screen cinema to doing an internship at the experimental and autonomous filmmaker Noel Loozen, from which she has learned a lot. Mees’ films are reflective and experimental. She looks at things from a thinking angle. Before this film she made a visualization on Iceland with her best friend transforming an unexplainable feeling into visual tableaus.
I wanted to give the medium of audiovisual media the room to be shown in the way it wanted to be shown, give it the air to breath. I led myself with the random and absurd visual images that appeared in my head. And in the meantime, I started drawing up rules for the film. I wanted to surprise myself and hold up a mirror to the viewer. Why do we do the things we do? And how do we do them? And does it actually make sense? The vagueness is allowed, the not knowing what the answer is, as Tarkovsky would say. I hope it will be an aesthetic experience that stimulates your brain to think on your own in a surprising way.
Cast
Adanna Unigwe, Sara Afiba, Bart Bijnens, Anne-Marie Dimanche, Matthijs IJgosse, Jonathan Huisman, Ellen Rohrman
Crew
Director, writer, producer, visual effects
Mees Bergshoeff
Creative producer
Gaia van Maanen
Director of Photography
Boris Bergshoeff
Production designer
Jette Vogel
Editor
Robben Fuhler
Composer, Sound designer and Soundmix
Yasha Mostert
Directors assistent
Puck van der Werf
First assistant director and Production
Mees Gerritsen
Gaffer
Kenneth van Bochove
Sound
Julia Nijenhuis
Styling and make up
Suus de Nies
Casting
Post Castelijn casting: Sven van den Berg, Fay Muller en Romy ter Haar
Camera assistant
Sean Vogel
Best boy
Yannick de Graaf/ Daan van Asselt
Corona manager and set photographer
Benaiah French
3D Animator
Sarah Hoogman
Poster and logo illustrator
Jikke Lesterhuis
Title design and animator
Paulina Szafranska
Grading
De Lodge post production: Rachel Stone
Catering
Ralli Cooks: Hadidja Simba en Chaima El Haddaoui / Elena Xialkiadaki / Zora Prins / Barbara bredero /Cafe restaurant Amsterdam
Classical ensemble composer and drum player
Han Vogel
Trumpeter
Ruud Visser
Contrabas
Pia Pirtinaho
Brass band
Accu fanfare under the wings of Jos Zandvliet and Septimia Kuhlmann
Boys on the street
Oliver Helmstadt and Benaiah Frensch,
Homeless man
Aart Jan bergshoeff
Forrest girls
Daphne Takken, Merel Vervloet and Evi Ros
Coach
Bea de Visser / Dana Linssen
Script coach
Lena Visser
Production advice
Timo Schot
Overall advice
Daan Bakker
First editor
Sebastiaan Verbeeten
Locations
Colette Grootenboer – Tungsten Studios
Landgoed Zonheuvel
Droompaleis Rooseveltlaan
Zunderdorp
Amsterdam centrum/zuid
The house of Joep Thieckie and Eva Eisenloeffel
Light rental
Het Licht
Camera and grip rental
Maloney
Platform rental
Peinemann
Bus rental
Ab Gietelink
Bus Parking
Amsterdam studio’s
I want to give big thanks for standing by my side, helping me, and always being there, without you this wouldn’t be possible:
Barbara Bredero
Aart Jan bergshoeff
Boris Bergshoeff
Elena Xialkiadaki
Zora prins
Lars van der net
Suus de Nies
Rinus van der Weerd
Vincent Tillinanus
Lena Visser
Timo Schot
Meraud Pals
Abe
Everybody that was so kind to donate, you helped to give this movie form, I’m endlessly grateful.
And a special shoutout to Harro Presser.
My last thanks:
Artwork in the bedroom from Evi Beek
Joep Thieckie & Eva Eisenloeffel and the sweet people of Zunderdorp
Rijksmuseum
Gemeente Amsterdam
Milene Hoving from Cafe restaurant Amsterdam
Janneke berkelbach
Oliver helmstadt
Wouter van Dijk